Secrets And Sacrifices
by CatNinja0122
Summary: Katanlia's secrets just keep dropping like flys. First, there's the fact she landed a job in the same workplace with Kite. Second, there's the major thing of her being a Barian. And third...well, doesn't third just bring back memories for the girl and her brothers?
1. Chapter 1: Flashback Dreams

_"Don't take him!" Katanlia screamed it, her tiny hands wrapped around Vector's wrist. Both gray Barians were struggling to hold onto one another as Vector was being yanked into a portal._

_And it was one of the other Barians that was trying to pull him through._

_"Leave me alone!" Vector yelled, trying to smack the unknown Barian behind him. All he gained in return was a stronger pull, and his wrist slipping a little more from his twin sister's grasp. Katanlia screamed and gripped it tighter, her claws digging into it and drawing a small bit of blood._

_But Vector didn't care. Katanlia was trying to save his life, so a small bit of blood in the process was no big deal. He winced when he felt his wings get grabbed, then cried out when one became torn. Katanlia gasped, then screamed again when her claws became slick. They were so slick, her hands began to slip from Vector's wrist._

_And finally, they slipped completely from one another._

_"No!" Katanlia screamed, her hands out in hopes that would just bring him back. Of course, she knew it wouldn't. But it was worth the shot anyway. There was nothing else she could really do._

_"Katanlia!"_

_"Vector!"_

_The portal closed, and Katanlia sank to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks as she began to sob._

XxXxXxXx

"Kat? Kat, are you awake?"

Katanlia jolted up, her eyes snapping open and small wings flapping a bit. The girl had unknowingly fallen asleep on the couch in her Barian Form, her left earbud dangling in the air and the right one only half way in. She stared at Hart's golden eyes, blinking innocently.

"What?"

"Why were you asleep in your Barian Form?"

"I don't know." Katanlia changed to her human form. Now, as Kat, she smiled at Hart and ruffled his hair. After about five seconds, she simply zoned out.

_That dream,_ Katanlia thought. _I have it so often. But...why? Vector has changed so much since that time. So much, he's simply become worthless to me. Then why do I keep having this dream?_

"Kat?"

Kat looked up, staring straight into Kite's sky-blue eyes. Beside him was Alit, who's green eyes were looking at her with confusion.

"Were you having that dream again, Katanlia?" Alit asked. He gained a simple nod from Kat, who sighed and lay on the couch lazily.

"Yes."

"Great."

"What dream?" asked Hart.

"The one where I try to save Vector from an unknown Barian."

"Awkward."

"Yeah." Kat sat up, her new glasses nearly falling off her face. She looked up, then shrugged. "But weird chiz always happens to me. Hell, I'm related to Girag. That's weird enough."

Hart stared at Kat for the longest time. Finally, he shook Kat to get her attention, then looked her in the eye when he got it. "I've never asked, but how are you related to Girag? You look more like Vector."

"Vector is my twin brother."

Hart's jaw dropped, and he stared at Kat with wide eyes. "Twin brother?! Then how are you related to Girag?"

"He's our older brother. My mother and Vector's father got together once. But they abandoned us when we were born, and Vector was taken from me when I was six. That's why I've lived on Earth longer than on Barian World."

"Okay, that makes sense," Hart said. He got up and walked away. Kat watched him, raising an eyebrow when he walked into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Kat asked.

"Drowning myself in grape soda and trying to sort this out," Hart yelled back. They could all hear the crack sound from the opening can.

Kat shrugged. "Don't sneeze it," she called, returning her attention to her iPod. Kite and Alit rolled their eyes.

Typical Kat Ward.


	2. Chapter 2: Captured Kat

Sleepless. It was the only word Kat could think of at the moment. She tossed and turned all throughout the night, waking Kite once. With an apologetic smile, they had simply shaken it off and gone back to sleep.

Well, Kite had. Kat was still wide awake.

_Why can't I just sleep?_ Kat thought, flicking the pillow case a few times. _It's nothing new! I've been doing it every night for thirteen and a half years! Not difficult, either. So why can't I do it?_

A thud sound came from Hart's room. Thinking maybe he just rolled out of bed, Kat ignored it. But soon, she heard footsteps. Heavy footsteps. Too heavy to belong to Hart.

Great. There was an intruder in the house.

_Maybe this'll tire me out a bit_, Kat thought, vanishing from under the covers. She sleeked against the wall, peering into Hart's room. The girl saw nothing except for Hart, who was sound asleep.

Had she just been imagining it?

When a hand cupped her mouth, she knew it was the total opposite. Kat glanced back, nearly screaming when she saw the figure. It was the same as that of the unknown Barian from that day.

Kat struggled against the grip on her, trying to wake Hart up so he could get Kite or Alit. But she just couldn't reach far enough to smack the blue-haired awake. Crap, Kat thought. I'm seriously screwed.

They were gone, just like nothing had ever happened.

Soon, they were on Barian World. Katanlia struggled against the grip on her, then screamed when chains were wrapped around her wrists. She looked around. The mystery Barian was nowhere to be seen, but she spotted Durbe no problem. Though the gray-haired most likely didn't notice, Katanlia could also see Vector. He was standing behind one of the Baria Crystals, simply staring idly at his twin sister.

Katanlia felt the tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"Well well well, what have we got here? A captured rank four Barian? Good. That's exactly what I'd been hoping for."

"What's my rank got to do with this? Why have you captured me? I demand answers, Durbe!"

Durbe simply chuckled.

"We plan to summon a great and powerful monster, Katanlia. So we need you as a sacrifice."

"You've gone mental!"

"Perhaps, but this creature will help us gain all of the Number Cards. This will be very beneficial for us." He glanced up at Katanlia's wrist, seeing a small and shiny bead tied to a slender piece of rope. "By the way, what is that ridiculous trinket on your wrist?"

"It's no ridiculous trinket. That bracelet was made for me by Vector. It's really special to me!"

"You mean that thing that he gave you when you were six? I thought it was just a piece of string and something made out of tin!"

Katanlia growled. "How dare you! I swear, when I get out of these chains, I'm going to murder you!"

"Well then I suppose you'll have to act fast. All of this takes place during the red moon."

"Red moon? I've never even heard of that."

"That's because it's only referred to that on Barian World. It looks red here. But on Earth and Astral World, it's referred to the blue moon."

"Oh crap." Katanlia sighed, some stray tears flowing down her cheeks. Vector gasped silently. They were planning on using Katanlia as a sacrifice? Not gonna happen. The gray Barian glared. Though usually, he loved and basically lived off torture, something changed when it was his twin sister in the situation. It was like he had a soft spot just for her.

He had always been that way.

Vector vanished, plotting a way to free Katanlia and not get captured in the process. A small flashback flew into his mind. He could see him and Katanlia, huddled together behind a Baria Crystal. Katanlia was snuggled against him, shivering from the sudden cold. She was obviously scared of being captured.

That made it clear in his mind. Vector simply refused to let the one he cared most for be killed. He wouldn't allow it.

Not at all.

XxXxXxXx

Kite had to admit, he had expected Kat to be next to him, sleeping the day away like she usually did. But when he woke up, he was surprised to find she was not there.

In fact, she was not anywhere.

That had become plainly obvious when Alit's concerned little scream ripped throughout the cabin. Hart had awoken from it, and he thought someone was being killed or something at the time. When he learned it was only Alit having a freak out session, he calmed down.

"This is horrible!" Alit exclaimed, pacing around the house anxiously. He watched as the Tenjo brothers came down the stairs, looking at him like he was insane.

"What's horrible?" asked Hart, a confused expression on his face.

"Katanlia's gone! I can't find her anywhere!"

"Get worried when she isn't back in four to six hours. Honesty, she probably just went out for some early morning Dueling."

Alit sighed and plopped on the floor. He shook himself off, then nodded. "Yeah, okay. I bet she probably did. I keep forgetting this is normal behavior for her."

"Well, it is. So just calm down," Kite muttered, walking into the kitchen to make some coffee. Slowly, Hart followed behind him. Alit simply got up an went to the couch. Right. Nothing to worry about.

Oh how wrong they were.


	3. Chapter 3: Help Wanted

_"Vector?"_

_Vector looked down to see Katanlia there. She was still slightly shorter than him, but she was almost as tall. The young Barian pulled on her twin brother's arm. She had a slightly freaked-out facial expression._

_"What is it?"_

_"I'm scared. Really scared."_

_"I know, sis. I know." Vector sat down, patting a seat beside himself. Katanlia sat beside him, her tiny wings flicking a bit. She couldn't fly yet, but had made it a goal for the future. As the girl clung to Vector's arm, he began to shudder. Katanlia looked up at him, concern in her eyes._

_"Is something wrong?"_

_"What? No. I'm just...cold, that's all."_

_A lie, but she seemed to buy it. Vector refused to allow anyone to know he was also afraid._

_"Oh," went Katanlia. She leaned against Vector, shivering when she realized she was cold too. Vector held her close, then started to go through his pockets. He pulled something out of the left one, then stared into Katanlia's green eyes._

_They simply stayed in that position for a moment. Finally, Vector covered the girl's eyes and held her arm up. He slid something onto her wrist. When he uncovered her eyes, Katanlia instantly let them travel down to see it._

_A small, shiny bead that was placed on some frayed rope. Katanlia giggled and looked up at Vector. He once again held her close._

_"I know it isn't much but..."_

_"It's perfect. I love it. Thank you brother." Katanlia snuggled against him. She shivered one more time, then simply fell asleep. Vector chuckled._

_Katanlia was the only thing that mattered to him. The only thing important in his life. The only thing he kept living for. And as long as she were still around, he would forever be that way._

XxXxXxXx

Vector jolted up with a start. He looked around. The papers were scattered around him in messy piles from his hours of plotting to free Katanlia. Somewhere in the middle of it, he'd fallen asleep.

And he'd had a flashback in his dream.

"I remember that," Vector whispered, cleaning his mess up slightly. "That was when Girag was after us. He was pretty peeved that day. Oh well. What's in the past is in the past I suppose." The gray Barian shrugged it of like it had never happened. He finished picking the papers up, then stood and walked out of his bedroom.

Then he froze when he heard Durbe and Mizael talking.

"Do you think we need to worry about Vector?"

"No, not really."

"But what if he interferes with our plans?"

"That's when we'll worry about him. As of now, he is of no concern to me."

"Whatever you say."

The gray Barian listened as they walked away. Vector shook himself off, then stood and slowly made his way to where Katanlia was hanging. She was fast asleep, her wings twitching a bit. Vector could feel himself tense with anger for a moment. How dare Durbe lock his sister up like that! He growled, then flew up to Katanlia and began to pull on the chains. It was no use. They were too thick for him to get off.

"Damn it," Vector muttered, slowly landing on the ground. If he couldn't do this alone, he knew who could help him.

Although, it pained him greatly.

Vector changed to his human form and disappeared. When he arrived on Earth, he began to walk away, already knowing who's house he was looking for.

XxXxXxXx

Something was wrong. Seriously wrong. And Kite could feel it. Kat was in some sort of danger, he just knew it. Problem was, he wasn't sure where to look to try and find her.

"She has been gone for way too long! Katanlia could be dead! We need to find her!" Alit was panicking again. At the same time, he was pacing around in circles, attempting to figure out just where Kat may be.

"Look, you need to calm down first. Panicking over it will get us no where," Kite said, staring right into Alit's green eyes. He blinked, then quit his pacing and slumped to the ground. With a nod, Alit slowly began to chill out.

It had been a whole day since Kat had left. Now, all three were becoming worried that something else had happened. Maybe she hadn't gone. Maybe she'd been taken instead.

At least, those were the possibilities that were going through Kite's head at the moment. He knew that something was going on, but it was impossible to tell what.

The three of them jumped up with startled yelps when they heard the knocking on the door. Hart leapt from the couch and opened it, then jumped clear across the room and behind Kite to hide.

Vector stood on the other side in his Rei form.

"Vector? What the hell are you doing here?" Alit asked, walking over and staring the orange-haired in the eye. He simply glared.

"I wouldn't come here for help if it weren't important."

"Wait...you came to us for help? Is something seriously wrong with you right now?"

Alit basically screamed when Vector slammed him into the wall. Violet orbs stared into and melted green ones as they met one another's gazes.

"My twin sister. She's in danger." Stray tears were forming in the corners of Vector's eyes. Alit was stunned. Never before had he seen that happen. "Durbe plans on using her as a sacrifice on the day of the red moon to summon a powerful monster. He's going to kill her! I need help to free her!"

"You...care?"

All heads turned. Everyone stared at Hart, who had a raised eyebrow as his facial expression.

"What do you mean, kid?"

"It's not normal for you to care about others."

Silence. The orange-haired Barian shut his eyes tightly. "Katanlia is different," he said in a low, agitated tone. "She's the only, and I mean _only_ one I have ever cared about. I'll do _anything_ to make sure my twin sister is safe." Vector raced up and stared into Hart's golden eyes. "Whad'ya say? Are you going to help me, or what?"

Kite, Alit and Hart simply stayed frozen. They stared at Vector, who was looking up them with tearful eyes. Alit just couldn't stand it. After all, it was Kat they were talking about, and she meant everything to him.

"Okay," Alit said. "We'll help you. What do we need to do?"

"We need to figure out a way to free Katanlia without getting caught. If we do that, they won't be able to summon that monster."

"Okay. Shouldn't be too hard."

"You don't know that, Alit. Durbe has Mizael and Girag seriously on patrol 24/7. We have to be careful."

"That's not a problem," Kite said, crossing his arms. He watched as Vector smiled.

"Great," he said. "Katanlia will be okay after all."


	4. Chapter 4: Two Ridiculous Plans

Durbe chuckled as he stared at Katanlia. The girl was not happy. In her mind, she had been keeping track of how many more days were left until the red moon.

She was down to two and a half.

"So, Katanlia," Durbe said, looking her in the eye. "How do you suppose your twin is going to get you out of this mess? Oh that's right. He's not."

Katanlia growled. "You're wrong! He will so save me!"

"Yeah right. Get real, Katanlia. When was the last time he was nice to you? When was the last time he ever did anything that wasn't bent on making someone be tortured?"

"Shut up! It's not even Vector's fault he's like this! It was all because of that mystery Barian that captured him! Whatever happened that day messed his brain up. Now all he can think about is how to hurt and harm people."

Durbe shut his eyes and chuckled. "You're such an imbecile. I can not believe you don't know who that Barian is!"

"Of course I don't! For one thing, I was six years old. How do you expect me to remember? And second, the guy was caped from head to toe in disguise. Even if I did get a look at him, I still wouldn't know who it was because his face was covered!"

"Whatever. It isn't my problem." Durbe dropped the subject just like that. He looked back up at Katanlia and snickered. The girl felt tears begin to fall.

"Let me go! Just leave me alone!"

"Nah. I think you really should just get comfortable. You'll be there for a while."

Katanlia hung her head in defeat. She began to cry, not knowing what else to do. The chains were too much for her to break. She couldn't convince someone to free her.

It was hopeless.

"What the hell has happened to you Durbe? You've changed too. Why don't you do something like use Girag for this?"

"Girag is not a rank four Barian. Both he and Vector are of lower levels. Honestly, how can you keep forgetting that?"

Katanlia gasped. Now it all made sense why Durbe was always having her do the dirty work for him. She was stronger then her brothers, a very rare circumstance for female Barians.

"Of course. It all makes sense," Katanlia said. She couldn't believe it. Durbe let out a laugh.

"That's right Katanlia. All this time, you'd been playing into the trap. You'd fallen for all the compliments that were dropped onto you. You believed you were worthy of becoming second in charge." The wisteria Barian crossed his arms. "Of course, it wasn't false. It's a very true statement. You are indeed worthy of becoming second in charge."

"But isn't that a good thing?"

"Oh it's very good."

"Then how come you have me set to be the special for a monster that can help you catch the Number Cards?"

Durbe narrowed his eyes now. "Because. I have no intention of allowing you to become second in charge. If I did that, you'd upstage me in no time!"

"Durbe! Why would I ever do that? You're the leader and I know this! I'd never try to take your place!"

"Oh but you would," Durbe spat. He glared at Katanlia. "Don't you know what it means to be second in charge? If something were to happen to me, you'd be the one to take me place. Having a female Barian govern us...that is simply disgraceful."

"Remind me how?"

"Because it's not supposed to happen." Durbe walked away. Katanlia was shocked. She sometimes didn't understand how the Barian Leader thought stuff. So what if she did take his place for a little while? If it's not supposed to happen, then why would Durbe even consider it?

Katanlia shook he head. "I will never understand you," she said, a low growl in her throat just waiting to go ahead and happen.

XxXxXxXx

"So, we know what the plan is then?" Hart asked. He gained a nod from Vector, who was staring at the ground. The orange-haired blinked away oncoming tears and stood, then shook himself off.

"We need to go to Barian World soon. There are only three days until the red moon."

"Red moon?"

"You humans refer to it as the blue moon. But on Barian, it looks red. So we call it the red moon."

"Oh." Hart blinked as he said this. He watched as Vector crossed his arms. It was obvious the plan was not of his favor, but he really didn't have a choice. (All their other plans were so much more worse than this one.)

All four of them stared at the ceiling. Vector growled. He shook himself off again, then glared at the floor.

_I'll free Katanlia, if it's the last thing I do,_ Vector thought. He stared at the wall with a menacing glare. That's a promise!

"When are we going to leave for Barian World then?" Kite asked. He stared at Vector, who gave a shrug.

"Dunno. Personally, I think we should leave tonight so we have just enough time to pull this off."

"Works for me, I suppose."

"Yes..." Vector trailed off. He zoned out, staring directly at the floor. If sneaking around Barian World and making a distraction to be able to free Kat wasn't bad enough, but he also had to go and fight Girag. (Like he had a choice. Girag would probably come anyway.) But it didn't matter to Vector much.

After all, this was for his twin sister. As log as it played out perfectly and Kat was saved, Vector didn't care how much trouble he had to go through. It would be worth any amount of pain to him. A sly smile crossed his lips.

Yeah. This would work. He just knew it.

Alit sighed. _Katanlia, don't you worry,_ the green-eyed Barian thought. _We're going to free you soon enough. You'll be safe soon. I can promise you that._


	5. Chapter 5: Operation Rescue Twin, Part 1

Vector hadn't been able to sleep whatsoever. It was nearing midnight, which meant soon, there would only be one more day before the red moon.

And one more day before Katanlia was sacrificed.

This is not going the way I had planned. Why aren't they awake? The orange-haired sat up from the bed and walked away to find the others. Alit was curled up near the door. Vector smirked. "Wake up," he commanded, kicking Alit in the back.

"GAH!"

"Wakey wakey Alit."

"Why'd you do that?"

"Because. It's time for the plan to go into motion, and you were still asleep. I need you awake as much as the Tenjo Brothers."

Alit sat up and yawned. He stood, then followed Vector to Kite and Hart's room. They were sound asleep. Vector rolled his eyes and shook Kite. When he didn't wake up, the orange-haired Barian smacked him on the shoulder.

Smacked him really hard.

"Ow! What what is it?" Kite said, rolling over and staring Vector in the eye. He gained a smirk from the Barian, who simply pointed at the digital clock on the nightstand.

Confused, Kite looked at it. He gasped and vigorously shook Hart. The blue-haired boy moaned and looked up, his golden eyes instantly stopping on the clock.

And both of the Tenjo Brothers shot out of the bed upon seeing it said midnight.

"That's what I thought," Vector said. He smirked, then closed his eyes. "Now, we need to get going to Barian World. Alit, you know what to do when we get there."

Alit put his hand up in a salute. "Yes! I distract any oncoming Barians that decide to stop our plans."

"Correct. Hart, I want you to help Alit out."

"Okay," went Hart, who was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Vector nodded and turned to Kite.

"As for you, Kite. I want you to protect me from the other Barians while I free Katanlia. If at any time I get distracted from what I'm doing, we may not be able to do this."

"I understand," Kite growled. He didn't wish to be doing this, but it was for Kat. If it meant her safety, he was fine with it.

"Alright then. Now, let's go." Vector tried to open a portal that would lead to Barian World. There was a spark, then it simply faded. The orange-haired growled and tried again.

Nothing.

"Let me try." Alit jumped up and attempted to do what Vector apparently couldn't. He had no more luck, however, and ended up simply falling to the ground. "Never mind," he said.

Vector let out a low growl. "Fantastic," he muttered. "They're blocking us from getting there. We're going to have to wait in order to leave."

"For how long?" Hart asked. He watched as Vector turned and stared at him, then shrugged.

"I have no idea."

"Well, there's no use staying up all night if nothing's going to happen. We should just go back to sleep." Alit yawned as he said this, then simply walked away. The other three watched as he recurled up near the doorway, instantly knocking himself out. Vector rolled his eyes, but he walked away back to his bed anyway. The Tenjo Brothers didn't waste one more second before literally jumping back into their bed.

Vector rolled over and stared at the darkness. Sorry, sis, he thought. I guess you're being forced to wait a little longer for the rescue.

XxXxXxXx

Katanlia watched from her chained place as Durbe, Mizael and Girag all appeared in front of her. She glanced at Mizael and Girag, then allowed her gaze to stay locked on Durbe. The wisteria Barian had a very cocky look in his eyes, something Katanlia did not like.

"What's that look for, Durbe?"

"There's only one more day before we sacrifice you to summon that monster. And there's no way your twin brother and or boyfriend can save you now."

"Huma? What do you mean by that?

"I mean, we've blocked them from being able to come to Barian World. By the time they have the power to, you'll already be long gone."

Katanlia scowled. "That's bull and you know it. Those two will find a way to get here."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"One of them is insane, the other is childish. They're bound to think of something."

Durbe simply chuckled. "Believe what you wish. It doesn't matter to me. Either way, we're still going to get the Number Cards with the help of this monster."

"What monster are you talking about, exactly? You keep ranting on about it, but you've never once mentioned to anyone what it looks like. How can I be sure you aren't lying to me?"

The classic "Shut it now" glare came upon Katanlia. She rolled her eyes, then looked the wisteria Barian in the eye. "I mean honestly, Durbe. How can I be sure of this?"

"You can't. For all you know, we're just getting rid of you. I'm not going to tell you anything more."

"Lame. The least you could do is tell me what you plan on doing. After all, how do you expect I would escape? I've tried. I can't do it. Why not just spill it?"

The wisteria Barian and the gray Barian had a stare-down. Katanlia glared, gaining an instant win by copying Durbe's signature glare and shooting it at him, causing him to stiffen in shock. (He'd never seen her perfectly mimic his glare.) This caused Durbe to snicker when he straightened up. "Fine," he said, eyes shut. "You win. I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"I want to know what monster it is you plan to summon. Is it an XYZ Monster? Something you could just use the Duel Cards with? Or is it something more? Tell me."

"It is no ordinary monster, Katanlia. Had we been able to summon it with our cards, we would have already. But that isn't possible. It takes a real, living sacrifice to act as an Overlay Unit in order to summon it."

"Just a single Overlay Unit?"

"Yes."

Okay, that was pretty informative. Katanlia waited for a moment, then shook herself out of her trance.

"Well, what about the description? What's it look like?"

Durbe looked up at Katanlia with dull gray eyes. "You should know. After all, when you were seven years old, you saw it every time you had a nightmare."

The blue and brown-haired Barian gasped. No, it could NOT have been...him, could it? It had to be. That was the monster, the thing she saw in her nightmares as a little kid. What other monster could it be? Katanlia growled.

"You're making a big mistake! Wolf Dragon is not one to be messed with! If you make even one wrong move, he'll obliterate you!"

"Why should we listen to you?"

Katanlia looked over at Girag. She narrowed her eyes again, then snarled. "Because, I have personal experience with that beast! I know what to expect from him! Wolf Dragon is a very powerful creature that could most likely help gather the Numbers. But he's also very dangerous. If you do even a single thing that displeases him, you're history. That...that thing, whatever it is, has a very short temper."

It was no use. No matter how hard she tried, those morons below wouldn't listen to her. Katanlia let out a long sigh. Hey, it was their funeral.

Oh wait. If she was sacrificed, it was also her funeral.

Never mind, I think we're all screwed, Katanlia thought.

XxXxXxXx

Panic. That was the only thing Alit was thinking of at the moment. Hours and hours had passed, both he and Vector attempting to open a portal back to Barian World during each thirty minutes.

Nothing. Nothing worked. And they were down to only three hours.

"This isn't good. This isn't good. We only have three hours left before they kill Katanlia." Alit raced up and grabbed Kite by the shirt collar. "What do we do now?!"

"First, you calm down." Kite shoved Alit off himself, making the green-eyed Duelist land on the ground with a thud.

"Then, you get up," Vector growled, yanking Alit off the ground.

"Is there a point to this?!"

"Shut it. Now listen, Alit. I just now came up with a plan to get us to Barian World."

"And what would that be?"

"You and I can combine our powers to do so."

Alit's eyes lit up instantly. He smiled and nodded, then stared Vector in the eye. The orange-haired grabbed his wrist, then threw his arm up, prompting Alit to do the same. He did.

And seconds afterwards, there was a small portal on the floor.

"Jump. Now!" Vector commanded, leaping through the portal. Alit rolled his eyes and jumped in, followed by Kite and Hart. All four landed hard on the ground. Vector and Alit were now in their Barian Forms, looking around wildly.

Laughter suddenly flew around the area, causing the four to jump. Vector glared when he saw Durbe there.

"Well well well," went the wisteria Barian. "I see we have guests. But you're too late."

Vector's eyes instantly directed to the ceiling, where he gasped in fear. Alit, Kite and Hart did the exact same thing when they saw what he was staring at.

There floated Katanlia, dangling over what appeared to be the Overlay Network. Ready to be sacrificed.


	6. Chapter 6: Operation Rescue Twin, Part 2

"Katanlia!" Vector yelled. He growled and stared at Durbe with a very menacing glare. The gray Barian lunged at the wisteria one, missing by only an inch. Durbe grabbed him by the wrist, then swung him around and threw him back at the others.

"Sorry Vector, but you're too late."

"No I'm not!"

"Good luck trying to free your twin sister, then."

Vector looked up. Katanlia was staring at him with pleading cat-green eyes. At first, he was about to give up, seeing it was rather pointless to try.

But then, he saw the bracelet on his twin's wrist. The one he'd made for her.

That did it. Vector knew what he had to do now. He flew up to where Katanlia was dangling, then jumped on top of her. Katanlia let out a shriek of terror, forgetting who it was at first.

"What're you doing?" Katanlia asked. She watched as Vector looked down at her, eyes filled with rage.

"I'm freeing you."

"But Vector, you can't. This thing won't close until something goes into it."

"I don't care. I can take your place if I must."

Katanlia narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What? No you can't! You aren't a rank four Barian! This won't work if you do this!"

"Yes it will. You may not know it, but I've caught up to you. We're even now."

"What do you mean, Vector?"

"I'm rank four now too! Just allow me to help!"

Before Katanlia could protest any farther, she felt the chains on her be yanked away. Vector threw them down, then grabbed the other gray Barian and tossed her to the left. She landed on the ground with a thud. Tears began to form in Katanlia's eyes.

"Vector! No! Come back down here!" Katanlia yelled, her hand up in the air. She gained a head shake from Vector, who latched onto the rope his twin had once been dangling on. Durbe chuckled. _How amusing,_ he thought.

Well, not for Katanlia. She was instantly on her feet, soaring up into the air and grabbing onto Vector, just like how she had when they were younger. Vector glared, trying to shake the girl off him.

That was not working.

"Katanlia! Release me at once! I'm trying to save you!"

"And I'm trying to save you. Please, just let me do it."

Vector hesitated. He knew his twin would probably be pretty mad after he did what he was about to do. But it was for her safety. It would be worth it. "Sorry sis," he whispered. With a swift motion, Vector elbowed Katanlia off of himself. She screeched as she landed on top of Kite, then went wide-eyed. With a loud shriek, she began to panic as Vector sent himself tumbling into the Overlay Network.

"No!"

Everyone's eyes were on Katanlia as she flew back up, then dove in herself. When she spotted Vector, she grabbed him by the wrist and attempted to fly back up with him. Her twin glared, then grabbed her other wrist and yanked her down, staring into her eyes with a crazed look.

"Listen to me Katanlia. You go up to the surface right now. And don't you dare come back."

"But Vector..."

"Now!"

Katanlia gasped. Never before had she heard Vector get so demanding. With a few tears lingering in her eyes, the girl let go, then vanished from the swirling purple vortex.

"Finally!" Durbe yelled, an insane look in his eyes. He narrowed them, staring as the Overlay Network began to warp and close for a moment, then reopen. The wisteria Barian let out a laugh, which startled the other Barians in the room. Something was wrong here.

_Very_ wrong.

They only had about ten seconds to think about it before the bright light came crashing down from the Overlay Network. Following that came a monster.

No, not _a_ monster.

_The_ monster.

Katanlia gasped, then latched onto Kite's arm in fear.

Wolf Dragon was here now. His beady, crimson eyes stared down at everything below him. His long and glossy green mane rippled like ocean waves, and his huge purple wings were up, shining like the sun. Wolf Dragon's tail swished back and forth slowly, so as to strike fear into those who tried at him.

Well, Katanlia would be the first to admit. She was definitely afraid.

Katanlia took a closer look at Durbe. His eyes seemed to have a tint of green in them, mixed with a very small hue of purple. The gray Barian gasped, realizing what was going on.

Durbe was being controlled by Wolf Dragon.

Wolf Dragon howled, then bent down and allowed the wisteria Barian to climb on top of him. The others simply stared in fear. Even Mizael, who was never afraid of anything, had a terrified look on his face.

And that really said something.

_Of course! It was Wolf Dragon that's been making him like this! That thing only wants me gone. Now it all makes sense. It all makes sense._ Katanlia growled and floated in front of Wolf Dragon. "Let him go! This is all because of you, Wolf Dragon. Now, it's time for it to end."

Wolf Dragon howled in laughter. His pointy fangs were now latched together in a toothy grin. "What could you do to stop me, girl?"

"This!"

Katanlia raced up and twirled around, then landed a successful drop kick to Wolf Dragon's face. The massive monster yelped like a hurt puppy and flew backwards, sending Durbe the opposite direction. In a matter of seconds, the wisteria Barian was in Katanlia's arms. She set him on the ground, then soared back up.

"Okay, Wolf Dragon," she growled, eyes glowing a dark pink. "This is the last time you torment me. I know it's been you that has had Durbe under control. And I know you're the one that forced him to steal Vector away from me when I was six!"

The monster in front of Katanlia was stunned. "How could you have possibly known that?"

"There was but one feature I can never forget about the Barian that took Vector. I remember the mixture of purple and green in his eyes. And now that I've taken a good look at Durbe, it all makes sense." Katanlia stood in a battle pose, ready to take the beast in front of her on. "Now, I'm going to defeat you, once and for all! I'll make you regret the day you ever decided to start messing with us!"

"Good luck trying, Katanlia!"

Katanlia glared. "I don't need luck," she growled. A deep crimson-red aura formed around her as she glared. "This is for Durbe and Vector! You're going down!"

And with that, the real battle had begun.


	7. Chapter 7: Operation Rescue Twin, Part 3

The two continued to fight, shattering many Baria Crystals and making dents in the walls. Katanlia and Wolf Dragon slammed against one another, claws clashing and wings beating.

Katanlia let out a yell when she was thrown back. She landed on the ground with a thud, then sat up slightly. Durbe watched intently from where he and Mizael stood. At some point in the fight, Katanlia had managed a hit that had taken Wolf Dragon's control right out of the wisteria Barian. It had taken a little while, but Durbe was soon watching intently and hoping Katanlia would win.

And even though he knew it wasn't his fault, Durbe couldn't help but feel...bad about all of this. Like it _was_ his fault. Even though it wasn't.

It just felt like it.

Another bang erupted from the fight. Wolf Dragon went flying backwards, smacking into and breaking a Baria Crystal as he did. The massive monster growled, then let out a roar and charged forward. He sent Katanlia flying, and she smacked into the wall. The gray Barian glared, then glanced down at Durbe. He had a really concerned look in his eyes. With a sigh, Katanlia floated down, then soared up and slammed right into Wolf Dragon. She snickered and crossed her arms.

"Is that the best you can do Wolf Dragon? Pathetic," Katanlia said, flapping her wings in a cocky motion. She glared, then dodged the purple fireball that came flying at her. Wolf Dragon's wings glowed for a moment, signifying he was going to throw another.

And he did. Katanlia yelped when it smashed against her arm, causing a black mark to form on it. She winced, then screamed when another purple fireball hit her arm in the same place. Durbe went wide-eyed when he saw this.

The thought that this was all because of him once again flooded his mind. He gulped, then watched with a terrified look as Katanlia was sent flying backwards. The gray Barian landed hard on the ground.

"Okay. That hurt," Katanlia groaned. She stared as Durbe came running over to her, shaking her in attempt to fully wake her up. A small giggle escaped from Katanlia. She stood, then flicked her wings up and down a bit. Durbe still wasn't convinced.

"I really don't think you should keep fighting this guy."

"Durbe, please. Stop trying to stop me from what I need to do."

"What?"

"Quit distracting me and move!" Katanlia shoved the wisteria Barian to the ground, making it so both of them barely missed Wolf Dragon's tackling. With wide eyes, Katanlia gasped. If she hadn't shoved her and Durbe out of the way, they would've been crushed into nothing for sure.

The gray Barian stood all the way now, glaring at Wolf Dragon as the beast laughed. "How weak you are. You can't defeat me alone!"

A growl came from Katanlia now. She was ready to fly up and scratch the monster's face to shreds, but was stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Katanlia whipped around, staring into Durbe's gray eyes.

"What now?"

"You should let me help you if you're bound to keep at this."

"But Durbe..."

"Please Kitty?"

Katanlia went wide-eyed. It had been almost nine years since she'd been called that by anybody. With a nod, she looked up at Wolf Dragon, then turned to face Alit. "Alit! Come help us!"

"Okay!" The red Barian ran over to them, tripping once but making it over anyway. He stumbled into Durbe, who glared at him before returning his attention to Wolf Dragon.

The beast howled with laughter.

"Do you really think you three can stop me? Please! You don't stand a chance."

"We'll see about that!"

Katanlia was the first to run up and begin attacking Wolf Dragon. She sent an energy shot flying his way, then vanished behind him and began digging her claws into his wings. With a bark of pain, Wolf Dragon went tumbling down to the ground. Katanlia snickered. She would be smirking at the moment if it were possible.

"Do ya give up Wolf Dragon? Or are you still hungry for more?" Katanlia asked in a mocking tone. She screeched when Wolf Dragon tossed her off, making her soar high into the air. The gray Barian caught herself on a nearby Baria Crystal, then watched as Alit went charging forward.

And in a matter of five seconds, he had the monster on the ground. Katanlia chuckled, then dropped down in a backflip, landing right on top of Wolf Dragon. She watched as Durbe went flying up into the air, sending his own attacks flying down. Alit yelped and hopped away, while Katanlia simply vanished as the attacks smacked Wolf Dragon head on.

Now Katanlia reappeared. "Did we get him?" she asked. "Is it over? Did we kill Wolf Dragon?"

A bright light began to glow from Wolf Dragon's body, and the beast turned into small pink particles that flew off into the sky. Hart reached up and tried to touch them, but Kite pulled his arm down and hissed, "Don't touch them," as they floated away. Katanlia took that as a sign of Wolf Dragon being gone forever.

"We did it!" The gray Barian jumped up with glee and changed to her human form on accident. But she didn't care. Kat was too happy to care at the moment. The blue and brown-haired girl squealed happily, then tripped and fell onto the ground. Kat giggled, then froze instantly. A thought flashed into her mind.

Vector was still gone.

Kat saddened her eyes and took her glasses off, allowing the tears to fall. She had her eyes shut, and refused to open them when a hand touched her shoulder.

It didn't take her long to realize it was Durbe. Startled, she looked up at the wisteria Barian. Kat was confused, obviously not knowing what was going on. Especially when Durbe looked at the ground with a very sad look in his eyes. The girl raised an eyebrow, staring directly at Durbe.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Huh?"

"Durbe, don't lie to me. I know you. When something is wrong, you always have a look to show it in your eyes. And you have that look right now. So what's wrong? Tell me!" Kat was shaking Durbe's shoulders as she said this. He looked at her, eyes saddened with tears lingering in them. She shook him again, causing the wisteria Barian to shut his eyes as he changed to his human form. Durbe gritted his teeth as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"It's all my fault this happened."

Kat was shocked. She gasped, then shook her head. "No, no it's not. This is not your fault. You couldn't control yourself when you did that stu-"

"You don't know all of the details! Wolf Dragon didn't just take over me! I let him do that! He said he'd do something in return. But by the time I realized he'd been lying, it was too late, and your whole life had crumbled. It _is_ my fault! I allowed him to enter! I let him do this stuff without even trying to stop him!"

"Durbe, get a hold of yourself!" Kat said. She shook Durbe again, trying to stop him from grieving so much.

She didn't have too much luck.

"But I can't help it. This is all my fault. And I did nothing to try to stop it from happening..."

"Durbe. Listen to me. This is not, I repeat _not_ your fault. It's Wolf Dragon's fault. You may not have tried to stop him, but you thought he'd give you something in return. An honest mistake. I've done the same sort of thing before."

"You've never done it in a manner that destroyed someone's family."

"Well...no. But you get my point. Now, give me a hug."

Kat watched as Durbe looked up at her. She smiled, then glared when he refused to move. "I don't deserve one," he said. Kat rolled her eyes.

"Just shut up and give me a hug."

"But-"

"Hey!" Kat yelled, pulling Durbe into her embrace. "_Never_ deny my hugs. You'll be in big trouble for it. Now, shut up and enjoy the hug."

Durbe was frozen for a moment. Finally, he smiled and hugged her back. Alit chuckled and crossed his arms, watching as the two pulled away and Durbe changed back to his Barian Form.

"Okay Kitty, so you forgive me. But I'm determined to make it up to you anyway."

"You really don't have to."

"You're not going to stop me!"

Durbe vanished before Kat could get one more word in. She sighed and rolled her eyes, then stood up and stared at Kite, Hart and Alit. The blue and brown-haired girl smiled, then turned around and stared at Mizael and Girag. Kat walked up to them, then gave both of them a hug.

"And even though you two don't care too much about a simpleton like me, I'm still giving you a hug," Kat whispered. She walked away, then opened a portal to get back to Earth. Kite and Hart followed her, with Alit bouncing behind them. When they got to the other side, Kat simply fell onto the couch. She stared at the ceiling, a sly smile crossing her lips.

_I just know something good is going to happen soon._


	8. Chapter 8: Happy Happy Joy Joy

A few days had passed since the whole thing with Wolf Dragon. Kat now sat on the couch, swinging her feet back and forth as she stared at the TV. Every now and again, she would glance over at Hart, who was right next to her and laying upside down. The blue-haired boy stared intently at the TV.

And of course, _SpongeBob Squarepants_ was on. Not to mention the fact that Kat was actually watching it with him.

"So, what do you think is going to happen that's going to make you so happy, Kat?" Hart asked. His golden eyes traveled over and froze on the blue and brown-haired girl. Kat shrugged.

"I'm not sure Hart. I just know that something, _anything_ will make me really happy today or tomorrow. It's like a seventh sense."

"But, humans only have five senses."

"Two reasons. One, I'm a Barian. And two, my sixth sense is a food sense. That's why I'm always at the table one second before dinner's done."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

They simply continued to stare at the TV. Kat chuckled whenever Hart began to laugh. It made her remember the times she and Vector had had together before Wolf Dragon had made him go completely insane.

But that was a really long time ago.

Kat decided to flip upside down as well. She smiled, then held Hart close to her body. The boy yelped, but slowly allowed himself to sink into the embrace. Right about that time, Kite walked in with Alit.

When they saw the two upside down children on the couch, they started to laugh out loud. Kat glanced up curiously, then raised an eyebrow. She was used to Alit laughing like this. But Kite?

Not so much.

"You actually think this is funny, Kite?"

"Yes!"

"Wow. That...that is shocking."

"Whatever." Kite sat down by the girl, then kissed her on the forehead. She let out a giggle, then watched as Hart squirmed out of her grasp and went running away. Alit could have sworn he heard the words "Eww they're kissn'!" as he ran away, which made the green-eyed Barian start to laugh some more.

There was some silence. Finally, both Kite and Alit watched as Kat began to stare up at the ceiling. She had a mixture of concerned, worried and fidgety in her cat-green eyes. With a raised eyebrow, Alit bent down and stared right into Kat's eyes. "What's the matter?" he asked. "Something to do with Durbe?"

She nodded. "Yes, sorta. I mean, did either of you two think about how odd it really was when Durbe said he was bound and determined to make this up to me? Even though he did nothing wrong?"

"It was kinda strange," Kite implied. He watched as Kat flipped from her spot on the couch, landing swiftly on the coffee table and vanishing into the kitchen. Alit raised an eyebrow and stared as the blue and brown-haired girl cracked open a can of grape soda, then began pouring it on top of a bowl of dry Ramen Noodles. The green-eyed boy turned and looked at Kite with slightly narrowed eyes. "Is this normal behavior for her?" he asked.

Kite shrugged. "Only when she's stressed over something. She does weird things."

"Yeah. I can tell."

"Oh but this is nothing compared to what Vector did once when he was stressed!"

Alit and Kite turned and stared at Kat. She had a bit of grape soda hanging on the side of her lip. "Once, when we were younger, he made a sandwich."

"How is that stranger?" Alit asked.

Kat shook her head. "Please, let me finish. It was what he put on the sandwich that made it so weird."

"Well, what was that?"

"Peanut butter, jelly, and honey. Not too weird yet, right?"

Alit and Kite nodded in agreement. They watched as Kat simply laughed.

"Well, on top of that, he put mayo, lettuce, jam, and two totally different kinds of bread to create the thing."

Alit shut his eyes and looked away, a disgusted look on his face as he made a small gurgling noise. Beside him, Kite had his eye twitching.

"Did be actually...eat it?" Kite asked. He watched as Kat nodded, then stuck his tongue out with a grossed-out look on his face. Oh god, that had to be the most disgusting thing he had ever heard. (My older brother actually DID do this once, which is where I got the inspiration.)

A knock snapped them out of their trances when it came from the door. Kat jolted up instantly, unlocking and swinging the thing open so quickly that she hit herself in the face with it. With a startled cry, she landed on the ground. On the other side of the door and behind her, she heard gasping. When she looked up, Kat could not believe who she saw with a concerned look.

Durbe.

"Are you alright, Kitty?" Durbe asked, kneeling down and placing his hands on Kat's shoulders. She nodded and stared at him curiously.

"I'm fine. What're you doing here, though?"

For the first time, Kat watched as Durbe jumped up gleefully, like how she did whenever she was happy. The gray-haired Barian let out a small yelp sound too, which was extremely odd. Kat raised an eyebrow when Durbe made another excited sound.

"I finally found a way to pay you back for what I did!"

"For the umpteenth time, you didn't do a thing to me or Vector!" Kat had a sympathetic smile on her face. "But since you seem so eager, please do share what you've come up with."

Durbe smiled and yanked the blue and brown-haired girl to her feet, then stared into her eyes with a very bright flare of happiness in his.

"I brought something very special back for you."

"What is it?"

Alit, Kite and Kat watched as the unusually enthusiastic Barian Leader went running back outside. He slowly returned, a cocky smile on his face. Before anyone could ask what he was doing, he simply stepped aside, revealing the person who was hiding behind him.

And Kat's scream nearly shattered the windows of the cabin.

Vector was back.

"Vector!" Kat screamed, pulling the orange-haired into the cabin and pouncing on him in a hug. He yelped, not expecting for this to happen, but soon accepted the embrace.

"Geez Katanlia. You're a lot more spastic."

"I missed you! And I thought you were gone forever! Gah, I'm so happy!"

"That's obvious."

Kat pulled away, revealing the happy smile that was on her face. She was frozen for a moment, but then let out another scream of happiness and tackled Durbe in a hug when he came to the side of the door. They landed on the cement porch with a thud, making Durbe cry out from the sudden pain.

"Katanlia! I realize you're grateful, but honestly! You're so painful!"

"Oh, sorry. But I'm too happy to be careful! You brought my twin brother back from the freaking dead just for me! Thank you thank you thank you!"

Kat didn't give Durbe one second to react before she jumped off him and yanked him up, then kissed him on the lips. In the background, Kite was glaring menacingly, while Alit and Vector's jaws dropped to the floor. Hart, who had walked around the corner only seconds before, had bug eyes on his face.

"Is that really happening?" Hart asked.

"Yes," Kite growled. He shut his eyes and looked away. Kat leapt from Durbe for only a second before hugging him one last time, then turned back around and tackled Vector to the ground in a hug. With a chuckle, Durbe stared at the twins.

Finally. Everything was back to normal with those two. Durbe smiled. Maybe...he could warm up to the fact that he didn't cause this. If they were happy, he could at least _try_ to forget about the past.

**END**


End file.
